The Phantom of the Opera (1929) - Improvised Score

[quantum]

Listen with headphones for best sound.


An improvised score to the classic silent film.  There are various ways to approach it, and I decided to go with mostly improvised music and themes. 

You will find a number of variants online of this film.  The original 1925 negative is not known to survive.  What we have today are combined from different sources, some in better condition than others.  There are two major versions 1925 and a 1929 print.  The 1925 print exists from 16mm film intended for home use.  The 1929 version survives as better quality, though with a different run time than 1925. 

The film is in public domain as copyright was not renewed in 1953.

This was an adventure to get the video online.  Numerous technical challenges with the video, audio drop outs and so forth.

[ted]

Thanks for posting this, it was the first time I had seen this film and your accompaniment made it a splendid treat, Neil. I remember my parents telling me they had seen it together in their teenage years, and my music teacher earned part of his living from accompanying silent films on organ and piano. It is interesting to conjecture that the future music teacher of the son they did not know they would have might have played for the movie the son would watch ninety years later indirectly because of the teacher. It is not improbable and makes a nicely closed metaphysical loop J.B. Priestley would be proud of.

Anyway, you do this sort of thing very well indeed, I doubt I would be capable of restricting my musical impulses to events on screen. 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

What a great idea. I've wondered about doing this myself as a challenge, albeit only with a short film, and it's very impressive to see you doing this for a full length movie.

[quantum]

Thanks for listening, Ted.  This film is relatively new to me, though I have been familiar with the story for many years.  In the preparations I did for this, perceived restrictions were there in thought.  However, during the actual improvisation, I found the moving pictures to serve as a point of focus, to channel ideas with greater intent.

[quantum]

Thanks for listening, ronde. 

This time of lockdown, has afforded opportunity for greater study of many things, one being  silent film accompaniment.  It comes with a much deeper appreciation of what was required of musicians in the heyday of silent films.  Performing for three to four films a day, and a new film to study and prepare every five days. 

I think you already have a head start, as the photo slide shows you have been pairing with your improvisations I find to be particularly effective. 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks for listening, ronde. 

This time of lockdown, has afforded opportunity for greater study of many things, one being  silent film accompaniment.  (..)

I think you already have a head start, as the photo slide shows you have been pairing with your improvisations I find to be particularly effective.

We are approaching this from different ends of the equation, though. I'm improvising and selecting images which will both fit together and fit the mood of the improvisation, whereas you're fitting the improvisation to the mood of the images. It's definitely worth doing, either way!

[lostinidlewonder]

Nice one! I remember a few years ago looking through the state library and coming across a really thick book full of music meant for silent films. It was ordered in terms of themes. Something sorta like this:

https://www.mont-alto.com/photoplaymusic/SamFoxMovingPictureVol1/SamFoxV1.pdf

[quantum]

Nice one! I remember a few years ago looking through the state library and coming across a really thick book full of music meant for silent films. It was ordered in terms of themes. Something sorta like this:

https://www.mont-alto.com/photoplaymusic/SamFoxMovingPictureVol1/SamFoxV1.pdf

Thanks for listening!

That site has some good resources for silent film music.  A lot of material that is worth taking the time to explore.

[kalospiano]

damn, I certainly wasn't expecting such a monumental effort! I don't think I'd be able to go on improvising for one hour and a half like that listened to one third for the moment, will check the rest tomorrow!

[quantum]

Thanks for listening!